I’d like to dedicate this post to my homegirl Gigi, without her this post would not be possible. A fantastic host and friend, she drove me all over the place in order to satisfy my sweet tooth, and my Disney obsession. Mad love for you G. ❤ ❤
Here’s what I learned on this trip to LA:
1. Local coffee costs the amount of a small child’s root canal and despite being really cool, (personal pour overs that resemble a 9th grade science experiment, cool beans.) $5 for a drip coffee resulted in trips to Starbucks for the rest of my trip. $1.90 drip coffee is more like it.
In all reality though the pourover I got from Coffee Commissary in West Hollywood was fantastic.
2. Vegan and gluten free bakeries are just as abundant, if not more popular here than in Seattle. I felt right at home in this aspect. Breakaway Bakery takes the cake (pun very much intended) for my second favorite treats. The Bearded Lady will forever have my heart at the top.
Java Chip Cookie, Maple Donut (OMG divine), Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie, and a Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcake. I wasn’t excited at all…
Also delicious was Rising Hearts Bakery in Culver City. I balanced this bakery visit with a trip to Cafe Gratitude right before. I eat green so I can eat three desserts at once.
Grain and Veggie Mix, Carrot Cupcake, Chocolate Whoopie Pie (UNREAL), and a Coconut Oatmeal Chai Creme Sandwich. Balance is bliss.
3. Blog friends make the BEST friends. Never have I discovered such a perfect group of people to spend my time with. Gigi and I had such a great time together, and if stripping down for a couples massage upon first “meeting” in real life doesn’t scream best friends, I don’t know what does.
Side note: my back is a wreck and I have knots for days. Help me, I pay in cookies.
4. Starbucks green tea tastes better when consumed out of a Disney Parks cup. Real talk.
5. The LA farmers market sells nut butters that are so good you will be willing to spend double on them in order to ship them to your house. I brought a carry on bag, and in order to avoid the possibility of the airport throwing my beloved jars away I mailed them to myself.
Not my photo, because mine are still in transit from CA to WA. Patiently waiting for my fruit and nut spread AND pistachio butter. Yes..pistachio. Click this photo to visit the website!
6. Disneyland is better when littered with pumpkins. I can’t think of anything better than combining two of my favorite things: Disneyland + fall/Halloween = pure bliss.
Disneyland photo explosion in 3…2…1…
Starbucks Mickey Cookies!
CliffsNotes version of this post – I eat a lot of sugar (currently on a week long detox because…balance?), I love exploring new places through coffee and food, I open my mouth much too wide for photos much too often, Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, I’m obsessed with pumpkins, and I have the BEST friends a girl could ask for. Life is good.
Q: What’s your favorite ride at Disneyland? If you haven’t been, please tell me why.
Blissfulbritt 
69 thoughts on “What I Learned in LA”
ahellams
I can take care of your back in a jif, just come to Charleston! I accept cookie payment.
I love Disney World, I haven’t been to Disney Land in so long I really can’t remember my favorite but in Disney World the Rockin’ Roller Coaster by Aerosmith is pretty awesome. The pumpkins all over Disney look amazing, I didn’t even know they did that!!
pickyrunner
Ahhhhh this looks like SUCH a blast! Blog friends do make the best friends. I laughed out loud at the part about the couples massage. That would be quite the experience. I’m glad you had such a great time even though part of me is a little jealous. One of these days I’ll make it out west and we’ll hike and eat sugar and basically it will be one big blog party 🙂
Brittany
YES, you and I will be united again. Next time we will have an epic adventure.
GiGi Eats Celebrities
RIGHT?? I literally picked her up at the airport and was like, ALRIGHT, lets get naked! 😉
P
Looks like you had so much fun…and you even hit up one of my favorite places in the area so far (good ol’ Culver 🙂 )! We SO need to meet-up when you visit Cali again next time 😀
Brittany
Next time I’m in town we should all grab some grub!! 🙂
Shawna
annnnd i pretty much adore everything about this post! esp that you think blog friends are amazing — which means you should prob come to NY since we’re blog bffs already! or i need to come to Seattle. it’s at the top of my list. 🙂 you’re on a roll with the vegan bakery treats, girl. i’m not into sweets very much but i do like carrot cake, mmmmm. fave ride at Disney, hmmm… only been to D. World (in FL) and can’t really remember my fave as an adult, but as a kid i loved Thunder Mntn.
Brittany
Ummm…NY is SO on my list. I would LOVE to come visit for a couple days HA!!
B
I’ve never been to Disney, it’s just not my thing I think. I’d rather go to Hawaii or London but that’s just me! I have friends who love Disney! I’m sure with having a nephew (and another on the way) I’ll be making a trip with them once they get older.
brittanylesser
So fun!!! Wish I could’ve join you ladies. Blog friends certainly are the besttttt! ❤
The Vegan 8
OMG one of my favorite posts ever because Gigi is included and those sweets..omg!!!! Seriously Java Chip cookies and maple donuts?! Gigi is one of the coolest chicks ever, I’d love to meet both of y’all one day!!
Brittany
We love you too, it would be blogger overload if we could all be in the same place at once. I would die happy. 🙂
GiGi Eats Celebrities
OMFG OMFG OMFG the MAGIC that would happen in the kitchen with us three! A MANAGE TOIS OF SCRUMPTIOUSNESS!!!! Lets MAKE this happen…. Even if that means we do it over Skype! LOL!
Jen @ Marshmallows and Margaritas
We are obsessed with Disneyland but haven’t been since they put the pumpkins out!! My favorite ride is Thunder Mountain. What’s yours? And did you have a churro??
Brittany
My favorite ride is a tie between Space Mountain, and the Buzz Lightyear ride!! No churros for me, they don’t coincide with my dietary choices, but MAN do they smell good. I did have one from Disney many moons ago and it was delicious.
GiGi Eats Celebrities
Britt, make these and sub chia or flax for the eggs! http://proteinpow.com/2013/12/protein-churros-sugar-and-gluten-free.html
Jen @ Marshmallows and Margaritas
Oh, duh. I realized that after I wrote my comment (and also realized that there probably aren’t many sweet treats at Disney you could partake in!). I second Gigi’s idea about the gluten free ones, though! Yum!
apartmentwife
$5 for a drip coffee? gah, i’d be heading for starbucks too! and lordy lou- those cupcakes/donuts/cookies make me wanna run for the nearest (gf) bakery- yum! even though, i don’t think gf is really a thing in the midwest? people here lovvvve bread+cheese wayyy to much. hehe, guess i’ll have to come to you for that 🙂 OOH, and most important – LOVE the photos of you and gigi in disney land – so fun!
Gillian @ That's G
What a fun trip!! Those baked goods look incredible!! And so fun that you’re buds with GiGi! She’s awesome!!
Amy @ A Desert Girl
Ahhh, it looks like you had so much fun. And so much good food and beverage! Also – couples massage at first meeting is definitely destined to be BFF awesomeness. Too fun!
Missy
You two are so cute!!
Britt… you know, if you ever want to go to Disney WORLD (you know –the legit one *wink*) down here in Florida…. um…. I would love to be invited.
THAT NUT BUTTERRRRRR. I know you’ll give us the scoop when it comes. Can’t wait. I have much envy.
Brittany
I’ve only been to DWorld ONCE! My mama is talking about visiting again soon…you know I’ll be hollering atcha if we go! I’ll bring extra nut butter. 🙂
Lauren @ ihadabiglunch
Aw you two! I love when blog worlds collide 🙂 haha. Disneyland is adorrrrable around Halloween! And all that sugar….good lord. I love it!
Aja
Disneyland at Halloween is so great for pumpkin lovers! It’s absolutely gorgeous at Christmas time, too. My two favorite things combined: fall holidays and Disneyland! I’m expanding my current Disney tattoo with the castle pretty soon. My favorite ride is probably Pirates of the Caribbean. Someone asked us what kind of ride it was when we were in line for it. I was like, um, do you even Disneyland?
Brittany
I just legit laughed out loud at that last sentence. DO YOU EVEN DISNEYLAND!? SO true..haha.
Rach @ This Italian Family
The Starbucks at Disney has specific Disney cups?! I would keep one of those FOREVER! How cool! Also, I hear you on blog friends being amazing! I’ve hit it off so well with every single one I’ve met! 🙂 Glad you and Gigi had such a great time! 🙂
Brittany
I kept my cup…and plan to use it for flowers or something. HAHA, great minds think alike.
di @ life of di.
1) Can’t believe the price for coffee in L.A. – I’d definitely be one broke lady! 2) Blog friends really are wonderful. I love how supported and sweet the blogging community is 🙂 I try to explain it to my friends who don’t blog and they look at me like I’m nuts. Oh how they’re missing out! 3) All of those bakery goodies look fabulous! It’s giving me a craving right now…ergh. 4) I can definitely see how Disneyland would be better with pumpkins! I told Marty that I wanted to go to Disneyworld in the fall (smaller crowds) but realized that it probably will never happen because of his job. Schools prefer teachers to take their vacaions in the summer 😦 Boo. 5) My favorite ride at Disney would have to be the Haunted Mansion! 🙂 Scared me to death as a kiddo!
Brittany
I’ve realized non bloggers will rarely understand the connections we make with each other!
Matt @ Runner Savvy
Ugh. So jealous!
Laura @ the gluten-free treadmill
Looks like an amazing time – and hooray for blog friends!
Ellie
I’ve never been to Disneyland but I’ve been to Disney World in Florida. It was for a volleyball tournament so we only got to go to one park, Blizzard Beach. I loved the lazy river because my team and I linked tubes and raced through the river together. I really want to run the Disney Princess half marathon as soon as I remember to sign up before the deadline. All those sweets looked AMAZING! Makes me want a browine…oh hey I found one!
GiGi Eats Celebrities
YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS BUT… I MISS YOU ALREADY and I WOULD REPLACE ABOUT 5 of my “friends” out here with YOU! Ugh, MOVE HERE… And just deal with the $5 drip coffee, LMFAO! Or start your own coffee shop… OH WAIT A MINUTE? GENIUS!
Amy
Favorite ride = EVERYTHING!!! Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Matterhorn (okay, I have a thing for mountains), the Tea Cups, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan… And yes, that’s not including California Adventure. I know the layout of Disneyland better than I know my hometown I’ve lived in for 24+ years. It’s sad… But not really. 😉 So happy you had a fantastic time!!
Brittany
I LOVE all the mountains too. Space mountain is my favorite of them all, but sadly it was closed this time around! WOMP WOMP. It’s OK cause I know I’ll be back soon. 😉 I also love Fantasyland…just all of it. Makes me feel like a kid again.
Amy
It was closed?? Boo! I always feel like a little kid in every part of the park. No wonder I love going so much — for once, nobody minds if I don’t act like an adult! 😉
Mary
I NEED to go to Disneyland. I haven’t been because…way too far. One day. Probably when I’m all grown up with kids though. 😦
Khushboo Thadani (@KhushbooThadani)
I couldn’t agree more about blog friends- even when you’re meeting for the first time, it’s like catching up with an old friend. Good call on buying a cary-on. I had a terrible experience at LAX airport. I didn’t realise nut butter counted as a liquid so put my 18$ jar of Nuttzo in my hand carry- I almost cried when the security office made me throw it out.
Brittany
Oh…my…god. I would have CRIED SO HARD. I actually would have had NO IDEA the nut butter counted as a liquid, but the nice lady that I bought it from warned me!
carla
blog friends DO Make the best friends.
xoxoxo
Amanda @ .running with spoons.
Ohhhh oh oh! You’re making me miss Disneyland like a CRAZY person! I went last fall when the pumpkins were out, and you’re right — seriously the coolest thing. And I was even more stoked when I found a place inside that sold Starbucks coffee 😉 Also… blog friends really are amazing. Now when you coming to Canada? 😀
Brittany
You definitely share my excitement for the Disney Starbucks, I was SO JAZZED!
Heather @ HeatherRunsFast.com
What an awesome trip! So jealous of you both! Delicious food, great friends and fall Disney… what more could a girl ask for?! When you two are ready to hit up Disney WORLD, let me know! Todd will be gone for a bit this fall and I’ll have the house to my self 🙂
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen
Ok, so you’re not in nature but you were somewhere just as awesome! What a fun time you had with your friend.. love all the baking and coffees and rides:D You’re right.. you’ve got a fantastic life, you know what matters most:Dxx
kathy@vodka and soda
i love disney! i’m going again (3rd time in a row) in a few weeks. you guys are adorbs!
Erin (@herheartland)
I’m so jealous you got to hang out with Gigi! I love her! All the food looks delicious and I really want to visit Disneyland!
Arman @ thebigmansworld
OMG. You two are amazing.
True story- I went to Orlando Florida, during the most busiest time purely to go to Disneyland/Universal. My favourite part of disneyland was seeing a girl drop her ice cream cone in her newly purchased cinderalla dress. It was awesome.
Brittany
This comment had me dying. Dead. Crying. Belly rolling with laughter. It also told me that you and I would be the best of friends. Laughing at annoying children spilling their ice cream? Yup, best friends for life.
GiGi Eats Celebrities
BAHH HA HA H AH AH AHA HA AH AHA HA HA AH AH AHA HA HA AH AH AHA HA HA AH AHA HA HA AH AH AH! That is all.
Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A.
Looks like you had a great trip!! I love Commissary but you’re right, their coffee is absurdly expensive.
If you like vegan goodies, next time you’ll have to check out Fonuts for vegan donuts 🙂
Brittany
Their coffee was good…realllllyyy good, and the barista that did my pour over was adorable. Made spending my life savings on one cup almost worth it.
AHH we drove by Fonuts on our way to Rising Hearts, I must return to get a fonut! Good call.
Lucie Elizabeth (@CollectingLight)
I Neeeeed to live in the Us, and I have never been to Disney, it looks like so much fun!
journeysthroughmeadows.com
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
I totally agree that blog friends are the best friends. I love the awesome blogging community.
Looks like you had a fun time 🙂
Hannah
I’m not gonna lie, this post made me a little teary. It could be that I’m hyper emotional today, but damn I miss LA! The expensive coffee, the farmer’s markets (did you go to the Hollywood FM? It’s the best.), the food, and Disneyland! The Disney pics are what got me. My husband and I had yearly passes for most of the time that I lived there so we used to go ALL the time. Like, sometimes we’d just go for dinner. It is my favorite place in the whole world, and Halloween time was my favorite time – even more than Christmas. The pumpkins, the revamped haunted mansion…all of it. I’m so glad you got to go! I can live vicariously through your pics from butt hot Texas.
Brittany
Awww! You’ll just have to go visit soon, and let me know when so I can meet you at Disney. 😉
Melanie
I love that you guys went on this trip together AND got a couple’s massage. Awesome! I love Disney so much and that Mickey pumpkin thingy was so cool. Oh, and ALL of your treats looked heavenly! Yum.
Food, Booze, & Baggage
My kind of traveling…eating all the food 🙂 Your whole trip sounds AWESOME!!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
I saw microgreens at the farmers market this weekend and thought of you and this salad.
Brittany
This makes me insanely happy.
Choc Chip Uru
I swear, I need to live in Disneyworld. No joke, just casually make myself welcome in Cinderella’s castle 😀
SO MUCH FUN!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Jayda
This looks like such a fun trip!! I would love to go to LA. The expensive coffee though…not so much. I’m with you on the Starbucks drip!
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Nicole
I’ve only been to Disney in Florida… And I LOVE it!!!!! It seriously is the happiest place on earth… 🙂
blessedwiththunderthighs
OMG, how fun! I also open my mouth quite huge for pictures, too ;D
katalysthealth
Im SOSO glad that you had a great time out here. And I must agree, Disneyland is 100x better when its decorated for Halloween and Christmas. It’s by far my favorite time to go 🙂 And those treats have me wanting to hunt those places down! Although Im never even near Culver City, but I guess I could take a drive just for some food, right? 😉
Davida @The Healthy Maven
Lee and I defs got Nekkkkid on our first friend date. I’m confused birthday suit exposure = best friends.
Femme Fitale Fit Club
OMG I love Gigi of Gigi Eats Celebrities!!! I swear the world is too small – especially the blogging world.
Brittany
I KNOOWW! I looveee blogland, and have made life long friends because of it.
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